Can a Christian Lose Salvation?

Question: Can a Christian Lose
Salvation or is it true that they have eternal security? Is the
statement "Once Saved Always Saved" true?

In the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ
speaks to believers when he tells them to repent. Jesus warns them
that they risk having their name removed from the book of life,
saying, "He who overcomes will be arrayed like this in white
garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life."
(Revelation 3:5 WEB)

This passage alone makes it clear that
it is possible for those who claim to believe in Jesus Christ to have
their name removed from the book of life, but what would cause this
to happen? And does this mean that it's possible for a christian to
lose their salvation?

Understanding Eternal Security

The idea of eternal security and "once
saved always saved" comes from verses that speak of Christians
as "the elect" (those chosen by God to be saved). However,
John speaks about those who claim to be Christian, but then fall away
from the faith by saying, "They went out from us, but they
didn't belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have
continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that
none of them belong to us." (1 John 2:19 WEB)

Again, this statement seems to indicate
that the elect won't leave the faith, and those who do leave have
proven themselves to not be saved. However, what about those who say
they are Christians, but continue to sin?

Do Saved Christians Sin?

What is certainly not biblical is the
idea that you can continue to sin and be saved. Paul warns the
believers in Corinth about sinning, saying, "Or don't you know
that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Don't be
deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will
inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 WEB)

Again, Paul is speaking to "believers"
(those who claim to be Christian), urging them to repent of evil or
else they will not be saved.

Nothing Separates Believers from Christ

Now, Paul does say, "For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 8:38-39 WEB)

However, in context, Paul is not
talking about a person's choice to not be saved by sinning. Rather,
Paul is talking about being a martyr, saying that nothing (death or
otherwise) can separate us from Christ's love and power. The same
Paul who makes this statement in Romans also makes the above
statement in 1 Corinthians about evildoers not being saved due to
their actions.

Further Evidence for "Once Saved
Always Saved"

When Jesus tells the parable of the
sheep and goats, the king separates the good and evil based on their
actions. This result can be seen by the fact that we show our faith
by what we do. Paul supports this fact when he says, "They claim
to know God, but by their actions they deny him." (Titus 1:16
NIV)

James too supports this fact when he
says, "Show me your faith from your works, and I by my works
will show you my faith." (James 2:18 WEB) James continues by
saying, "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so
faith apart from works is dead." (James 2:26 WEB)

So to answer the question: Can a
Christian lose salvation? The answer is "yes" in the sense
that "believers" can have their names removed from the book
of life if they continue to live a life of sin (Revelation 3:5).

However it should be clarified that if
a person does continue to sin, then they were probably never a true
believer in the first place (1 John 2:19), because we "show"
what we truly believe by our actions.

Anyone can say they believe in Christ,
and they can even think they are sincere about it, but if you oppose
Christ with your actions, as Paul says, "by their actions they
deny him," (Titus 1:16) by sinning, then you are lying when you
say you know Christ and are saved. Essentially, believing that you
are saved while you continue to deny Christ with your actions is
deceiving yourself.

John says about true Christians, "Whoever is born of God doesn't
commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin,
because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9 WEB)

So then, can a true Christian lose
salvation? No. It is impossible for anyone who is a true Christian to
lose their salvation. However, whether they are a true Christian is
seen by their actions that support their belief, and it is also
important that this person be marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit
(2 Corinthians 1:22).

According to John, anyone who claims to
be a Christian should live in obedience to God like Jesus did,
saying, "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."
(1 John 2:6 NIV).

And how did Jesus walk? Jesus lived in
complete obedience to that Father, even "obedient to death."
(Philippians 2:8 WEB).